Accused 13-year-old St. Pete shooter to be tried as adult

CLEARWATER — The 13-year-old St. Petersburg boy accused of shooting a 15-year-old during an argument last week will be tried as an adult for attempted first-degree murder, the Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney’s Office announced today.

Le’Genius Wisdom Williams and several friends got into an argument the night of Aug. 21 with the 15-year-old in the 1700 block of 26th Street South, according to St. Petersburg police. During the argument, Williams pulled a small-caliber handgun from his pocket and fired multiple rounds at close range, investigators said.

Williams and the other boys ran away, while the wounded 15-year-old went to a nearby home seeking help. The people there called 911, and police responded about 9 p.m.

The wounded teen, who was shot several times, was taken to All Children’s Hospital in serious but stable condition. Police did not have an update on his condition today.

The teens knew each other, and their argument likely stemmed from friction between their neighborhoods, St. Petersburg police spokesman Mike Puetz said.

The gravity of what he’s accused of doing and his prior criminal record — Williams was arrested in May on a felony robbery charge — likely influenced the decision to charge him as an adult, Puetz said.

“Given the seriousness of the act, the juvenile system is not well-equipped to deal with juveniles who have graduated to that level of violence,” Puetz said.

Even though Williams is being tried as an adult, he would serve time in a juvenile facility if convicted, Puetz said.